Vahkiinra
by Shepard's Lore
Summary: This is the story of the dragonborn as told from the viewpoint of those around her, rather than her own. Each chapter will be a new viewpoint of someone she encounters, so you'll get most of the story through their eyes. It's a practice of writing for me, and I hope people will enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it.
1. Hadvar

OoO( Hadvar )OoO

It seemed like any time I ventured away from the warm walls of Solitude, Skyrim's temperamental weather decided to punish me by drowning me with cold pellets. But, chill or no chill, the Empire has work to be done, and today was the day that the Empire came so very close to ending the war that's tearing our nation, and so very close to ending our only chance of survival.

The buzz about Castle Dour when we received the message from our regiment in Falkreath was near constant. You couldn't turn the corner without hearing someone talking about the end of the war being at hand. Then, I, along with my superior, Captain Nirra, were chosen to accompany General Tullius and his squad down to Helgen to see to the usurper's punishment. Honestly, as long as the war ended, I really couldn't care whether I was there to personally see it happen or not. But I had been chosen, so the decision had been made for me.

At the very least, I thought I'd get the chance to visit his aunt and uncle over in Riverwood. It had been a while since we had spoken by that point, so it would be a good visit, on top of celebrating the end of the war. Or...that's how things were planned. But as the divines would have it, no man shall ever be able to predict the future with any certainty.

That became very apparent when the cart carrying the usurper king finally pulled into Helgen. We had already arrived hours prior, and Tullius himself had stood staring at the chopping block for the last hour, waiting to see Ulfric's head roll off of it. As the prisoners were pulled off of the cart, one of them, a simple horse thief that had gotten caught in the crossfire of the apprehending of Ulfric, got wiry and tried to make a break for the gates. Sadly, he met his demise at the tip of an arrow.

After moving Ulfric and the other Stormcloaks from the wagon, we still had one curious figure left. I looked over my manifest, but there was nothing on it about this person. As she stepped down, the creak of the wagon releasing tension hit my ears, making me look up at her full form. And what a form it was. She was a nord who stood taller than any man present, with snowy white hair that was fully braided down to her shoulders. Her stone grey eyes stared at me as I looked her up and down, trying to get a read on her, but it seemed impossible. Along with her height was a build that would make most males jealous, her muscular arms making the leather bindings around her wrists look like a precautionary joke. Her skin was sun-baked and scarred, showing the weathering and battle prowess any nord would be proud of.

But none of this answered the question, who the hell was she, and what was she doing here? Looking over to Captain Nirra, I simply shrugged and asked, "What do we do about her? She's not on the list."

Ever the one eager to please General Tullius, the captain nodded towards the chopping block. "Forget the list. She goes too." she commanded as she turned away from the prisoner and headed to the pre-execution prayer taking place at the chopping site.

Slightly disappointed, I turned back to the enormous woman to find her staring at me curiously with her head tilted to the side as if wondering what I would do. Something about those stone grey eyes were unsettling, but orders were orders. "You picked a bad time to come back to the Skyrim, but at least you'll die in your homeland..." I said uneasily as I waved for her to step up with the rest of the prisoners.

The prayer ceremony began, but a particularly impertinent Stormcloak lackey spoke up in his impatience. "For the love of Talos, shut up and let's get this over with." he snapped as he voluntarily stepped up to the chopping block. Slightly affronted, the priest of Arkay just shrugged and stepped aside, allowing the belligerent nord to take his place. Soon after, his head was removed with the drop of the axe.

I looked up again to surprisingly find her standing at the front of the crowd. Unlike the others in the group, her face was passive. The Stormcloaks all had looks of fear, agitation, or defiance on their faces. Even Ulfric himself had a look of impending doom, as if he were a skeever cornered by a wolf. Unlike his lopsided fight with High King Torygg, his voice could not bust him free this time. But her, her face showed nothing but relaxed indifference.

Unfortunately, her lack of emotion, and willingness to get a closer look seemed to annoy Captain Nirra. "The nord in the rags is next!" shouted the shorter captain as she pointed at the tall, sun-baked behemoth of a woman.

"Captain, you might want to consider getting a bigger axe for her." I offered jokingly, but the jest was not appreciated, it seemed. The captain ignored me as the white-haired woman stepped forward. Suddenly, every movement around the execution block stopped as an unsettling noise was heard from over the walls. "What was that?" I asked, feeling the sound penetrate my to my very core.

"I said, next prisoner!" shouted to captain as she tried to keep order. But the look on her face was as plain as day. She had felt, whatever it was, too. I could easily see that she wasn't so much ignoring it as trying to get the executions over with before something else intervened. Looking up at General Tullius, I could see that even he was affected. The man was a stone statue. He carried himself with infinite indifference to anything. He barely even reacted when we had gotten news of Ulfric's capture. But whatever this was made the man's eyebrows furrow, and that made my anxiety all the worse.

Finally, the woman stepped forward and got to her knees. The executioner, as if to make some kind of point, put his boot into her back and forced her face down onto the bloody stump. Her almost heavenly white, braided here slumped over into the red liquid and immediately began to absorb it, but I suppose her hair soaking up blood from a beheaded human was the last of her worries at the moment. "Peace be with you sister…" I offered in condolences as the headsman raised the axe high above his head.

But the axe never touched her. Instead, the executioner, myself, the entire regiment, and all of the prisoners fell off their feet as an ear splitting roar hit us like a windstorm. Looking up, I nearly soiled my armor as I saw a creature larger than any I had seen to this day land on top of the tower before us and roar once more. This time, the roar didn't hit us, but after the sound escaped the scaled creature's maw, the skies began roiling and writhing in the sky. The very clouds themselves turned red, as if the world itself were showing its anger.

Looking in the wake of the beast's destruction, Captain Nirra had been killed by one of the flagstones that the massive beast had knocked from the tower. General Tullius was gone, and Ulfric and the Stormcloaks were rising and freeing themselves from their restraints. If I stayed, they would no doubt kill me without a second thought just for wearing this Imperial armor. With no sight of the general, my captain dead, and the prisoners fleeing, all I could do was run.

As I fled from the carnage, I made my way down the main street of the town and back towards the entrance of the city to find out where the rest of the regiment had gone. It wasn't long before I found them pulling people out of blazing buildings, trying to save as many as possible. I moved to offer my aid, but then the beast returned. Reptilian in look, with a long tail, long neck, and two massive wings on its back, it stared down at us for only a moment before rearing its serpentine head back and unleashing a wave of fire so hot that I could feel my skin blister beneath my armor without it even touching me.

It's head moved in a sweeping motion, the blaze now devouring my fellow imperials and killing them near instantaneously. The fire was honing in on me next, but I was saved by what felt like a battering ram plowing into me and sending me crashing through the door of a nearby tower. When I gathered my wits again, I saw her standing over me. The battering ram, and my savior was actually the nord prisoner who I had sent to the chopping block. "Praise Stendarr for letting me live long enough to regret my earlier indifference." I said as I stood to my feet and stared up at the woman, who was easily half a head taller than me. "What is your name prisoner?" I asked as I picked my fallen sword up off the ground.

"Valkiria." she spoke, her voice very commanding for responding to a simple question.

"Alright Valkiria, then let's get those bindings off you." I used my sword to cut the leather restraints that still held her arms in place, but questioned whether I needed to at all with the amount of muscle showing in her arms. As she was freed, she flexed her wrists, but never took her stone grey eyes off me. "Let's get moving. We have to find General Tullius and regroup. And worry not, I'll not forget what you've done if asked why you are free." I said as I readied my blade and moved out into the open again. Thankfully, she followed as we left. Most of the outside now was either on fire, or burning down as we passed. "Follow me, we need to stay close to the wall!"

As we continued our frantic pace through the dying city, the creature reared its ugly head once more, landing directly on the wall over our heads. Both of us stopped, but it didn't appear as if it had seen us. The fire it shot, while still unbearably hot, was aimed further down the alley. So we moved quickly to get away from the beast while still keeping our eyes out for the general. Eventually, we came across an impassable burning building. The only way to continue was to go through the collapsing structure itself. So I nodded to her, and she returned the gesture, and together we moved quickly through the blazing wooden inn, making sure to steer clear of the walls of fire on either side.

When we finally busted through the front door, we were out in the open again and the beast was soaring over our heads, making me squat down in terror just in case it decided to take a snap at me. But she bore no such fear, and gripped my arm as she led us out into the open. To my surprise, General Tullius was right in front of us barking orders to the other soldiers scattered about the yard. As he looked over at me, he yelled, "Hadvar! Into the keep soldier, we're leaving!"

Not wanting to argue with the man, I did as he bade and pulled the door to the keep open to find a relatively untouched barracks room for the imperial men who were stationed here. Quickly, I turned to my new friend and spoke frantically. "Quick, look around here for some weapons and armor. You're probably going to need it." In a matter of minutes, the woman now wore an imperial uniform designed for a male that was bigger than even the one I wore. Her sheer size was still astounding me, even after seeing her in action. Now, she wielded a two-handed greatsword left behind by one of the guards. "Done then?" I asked, getting a nod from the nord woman. "Good, let's go."

As we moved to leave, we heard voices further down the hall in the next tower. Approaching quietly, it was easy to tell that they belonged to Stormcloaks. I had considered waiting them out until they left, but to my surprise, Valkiria opened the door and walked in on her own. "Imperial! Cut her down!" shouted one of the men as I moved to get to my feet. But as I rushed into the room, the sight startled me. Both Stormcloaks were now dead on the ground, one with his head entirely removed from his body, and the other had the greatsword lodged in his side. By the looks of it, she had taken them out in one swing of the large weapon.

"That weapon suits you." I said as I picked up one of the shields from the ground. She simply stayed quiet and kicked the fallen Stormcloak off of her blade. Such a strange warrior she was, always silent unless asked a question, and powerful but merciful. All I could really say at that point was that I was proud that she was a fellow nord.

We continued through the tower, passing through into the underground "interrogation room" as it were. Honestly, the tactics employed by these men disgusted me, and made me feel some sentiment of shame that the Empire associated itself with them. But these were issues for another day. Right now, we needed to get through the caves below. If Ulfric and Ralof had escaped through the same passage, it's likely they left behind a contingent of men to make sure that nobody followed their king, which meant that there was more battle to be had.

As predicted, as we made our way through the cave, Stormcloak soldiers appeared and started firing arrows at our position. I held up my shield and charged towards the first one, taking his arrows in the wooden guard, but the second got a shot off that hit me in the leg. Despite my injury, I continued forward and made quick work of the first archer with my leg protesting greatly. But I turned to find that my new friend had leapt the rivulet of water and had once again cut clean through the opposition. More and more, I grew impressed as she immediately came to my side and helped me limp my way through the rest of the cavern.

I thought us to finally be home free, when a waking bear decided to make itself known. The Stormcloaks before us had apparently moved quickly enough to avoid the creature, but the sounds of our combat had startled it away, and now it lumbered its way towards us angrily. I prepared for battle again, but Valkiria shoved me aside and confronted the beast with her sword. Standing at her full height, she raised her arms and let out a battle cry that I could have swore shook the very cave walls around us. The bear, not one to be intimidated, raised itself on its hind legs and returned with a roar that was just as vicious, if not weaker.

But its roar died almost immediately. As soon as the bear had raised up, the quick-witted woman dashed forward and drove her long blade clean through its hide, likely hitting its heart. The nord woman pulled the sword clean as the bear fell to the side, its life pouring from the wound in its chest. I probably sat there for a full minute in shock, still trying to come to peace with the fact that what I had seen today likely meant that this woman could have killed us all for trying to execute her. No matter which way you sliced it, she knew how to use a sword, and she knew how to kill multiple enemies at a time. Back in the cart, she had the serious advantage of being underestimated, and likely could have taken the headsman's axe and ended everyone present with it without losing the passive expression on her face.

Whoever this woman was, she was going to be someone great. Whether harmful, or helpful to the Empire, I couldn't say. But one thing was very clear, this woman would be very well known in Skyrim soon enough.

OoOoO

 **Author's Note:** This is a test story to see how people like it. It uses my original character from my own works, and will be told from the view of anyone besides the main protagonist, the Nord known as Valkiria. If people enjoy it, I may continue it. If not, then at least I got some of the ideas out of my head, and will be able to focus on other things. So, if you want to see this continue, feel free to let me know.


	2. Irileth

OoO( Irileth )OoO

The first time she entered Dragonsreach through those large doors, I couldn't believe my eyes. Before, I had seen several men that were tall and muscular. Bretons, Imperials, Redguards, even a Nord or two. But never in my life had I seen a woman as big as her. She looked like she could be more than a bit lethal with the great sword she wielded on her back.

Before she had arrived, my Jarl, Balgruuf was arguing with his brother, Hrongar, and the steward, Proventus over what had to be done about the attack on Helgen. Word had travelled fast that the entire place had been wiped out, and worry was written all over the Jarl's face about what to do. He very much advocated for sending troops to Riverwood to protect it, while Proventus disagreed, saying that moving troops that close to Falkreath Hold could result in rising tensions between us and them.

I generally stay out of the business, preferring action over words. But, in the middle of the argument, the large doors opened and in came this...woman. She looked like she had been bred from nord and giant together, and looked like she was capable of fighting through the guards of Whiterun to get here. I pulled my own sword free just in case she was dangerous, and approached her to keep her from interfering in their talks.

"Jarl Balgruuf is not receiving visitors at the moment." As she turned her questioning eyes towards me, I scanned her and saw that she wore a mish mash of iron armor that looked like it was too small for her massive frame. Anybody who was decent with a sword could easily take her down with a few stabs to the open areas. If they could get inside her massive range with that great sword that is.

"I come from Helgen with news of the dragon attack." she said in an urgent tone. Despite how quiet she spoke, her voice felt like it could rattle the plates on the table.

But more than her appearance, and more than her voice, I was stunned by her words. Taking my sword, I sheathed it at my side and stood straight. "That explains why the guards let you in. Come on then, the jarl will want to speak to you personally." I said as I walked back up the stairs to the dais. She followed, silent again and stepped up to the three arguing men.

Even for the three locked in heated debate, it was impossibly not to notice her presence when she stepped forward. Jarl Balgruuf immediately held up his hand to silence the other two as the nord woman approached. "Who's this then?" he asked curiously.

She spoke again, getting right to the point of the matter. "I was at Helgen when it was attacked by a dragon. Now, the entire city is little more than ruins, and the dragon looked to be flying this way."

My jarl's eyes widened in panic and he hit the arm of his wooden throne with a fist. "By Ysmir, Irileth was right!" he snapped, then immediately turned to Proventus, his steward. "What do you say now Proventus? Shall we continue to trust in the strength of our walls? Against a dragon?" he asked, his tone radiating annoyance.

Typically, I enjoy seeing the pompous steward getting his just desserts from the jarl. But the matter at hand was too urgent for me to sit idly by. "My lord, we should send troops to Riverwood at once! It's in the most immediate danger if that dragon is lurking in the mountains."

Immediately, the steward interjected, much to my annoyance. "The Jarl of Falkreath will view that as a provocation! He'll assume we're preparing to join Ulfric's side and attack him!" pleaded the man. But thankfully, Balgruuf was having none of it.

"Enough!" he snapped, silencing the man. "I'll not stand idly by while a dragon burns my hold and slaughters my people!" he said forcefully before turning to me. "Irileth, send a detachment to Riverwood at once!" he ordered as he stood from his seat.

The balding man, from all appearances very annoyed at having his advice thrown to the wayside, simply bowed his head. "If you will excuse me, I'll return to my duties." he finished begrudgingly.

"That would be best." said the jarl as he allowed the man to leave. He turned to our new visitor as I stepped away and did as ordered. Moving upstairs to the council table, Commander Caius was already standing there waiting for orders.

When he saw me arrive, he immediately stood at attention. "Irileth?"

"Assign someone to lead a detachment of troops down to Riverwood. There's been signs of a dragon attack, and the Jarl wants to make sure the people of Riverwood have sufficient protection in case it attacks." I ordered as I moved one of the small markers on the map down to the area marked with the town's name.

The commander went wide eyed, to the point where it looked as if his eyes might roll out of his head. "You can't be serious! A dragon? A...real one?" he asked, his voice betraying his terror.

"I do not believe I misspoke." I said in a firm tone as I stared him down.

"N-No...of course not. I'll get on it immediately!" said the man as he began moving down the stairs and towards the front of the keep. Hrongar stepped up to me as we watched him go.

"Why is he commander?" asked the nord man, who crossed his large arms over his chest. "Tell him a skeever is loose in the dungeon and he starts quaking in his boots. With the way he cowered, you'd think you asked him to go there personally."

"Do me a favor, if you would? Make sure he does his duty. I don't want any risky behavior to interfere with orders." I asked solemnly as I looked up at the jarl's brother. He simply gave a firm nod, then followed the quivering commander out of the keep. Having finished my duties, I went back downstairs and watched curiously as the newcomer and the court mage, Farengar, discussed a curious tablet that she had apparently brought with her. They appeared to be talking with a mysterious cloaked acquaintance of the wizard.

It was then that the opening of the manor doors alerted me again. Once more, I rushed forward to see who it was that insisted on seeing the jarl in this time of chaos, but I was met with a startling sight. A Whiterun guard was on his hands and knees, gasping for air as the two gate guards tried to help him to his feet. "Housecarl...there's been...a sighting!" he gasped out.

My eyes widened as I took a step closer. "Take a breath, slow down, and explain."

"A dragon, at the watchtower to the west." he said as clearly as he could.

Nodding, I waved to the man. "Come with me. We must inform the jarl!" I ordered as I turned to the door guard. "You, gather my troops and have them meet outside the gate. We will no doubt have to take care of this problem ourselves." I commanded, not waiting for a response as I turned and headed back towards the throne. The first place I stopped was the mage's quarters to alert Farengar, who would no doubt need the information as well. Stepping inside the large doorway, I spoke over their conversation for attention. "Farengar, you must come at once! A dragon has been sighted nearby!" I said before looking to the giant woman. "You should come too."

Immediately, Farengar in his hooded robes stopped his conversation and stepped out from behind his desk and moved towards me with an elated expression on his face. "A dragon? How exciting! Where was it seen? What was it doing?" he asked as if this situation wasn't dire at all.

"I'd take this a bit more seriously if I were you. If a dragon decides to attack Whiterun, I don't know if we can stop it." I said morosely, my expression souring. "Regardless, we must inform the jarl, so both of you need to come with me."

As instructed, they followed me up the stairs to where Jarl Balgruuf was now convening with Hrongar and the messenger. "So, you came from the Western Watchtower?" asked the jarl, who had a grim look on his face.

"Yes my lord!" responded the soldier.

"Tell him what you told me. About the dragon." I ordered as the three of us arrived.

The man nodded, still talking through his helmet. "That's right. We saw it coming from the south. It was fast, faster than anything I've ever seen!"

The jarl gestured to the man to get to the point. "What did it do? Is it attacking the watchtower?" he asked, somewhat impatiently.

"No my lord. It was just circling overhead when I left. I...I've never run so fast in my life. I thought for sure it would come after me." said the panicked guard as he let out a sigh of relief.

Balgruuf nodded firmly. "Good work son. We'll take it from here. You head over to the barracks and get some food and rest. You've earned it." The soldier nodded and turned to leave as the jarl faced me. "Irileth, better gather some guardians and get down there."

I nodded in approval. "I've already ordered my men to muster near the main gate."

"Good. Don't fail me." he said, his voice tinted with worry. Hearing it moved me, though I'd never show as much. Even so, his concern for my welfare was touching. He spoke to the giant woman for a few moments before offering me some last words. "One last thing Irileth. This isn't a death or glory mission. I need to know what we're dealing with."

"Don't worry my lord. I am the very soul of caution." I said as I bowed my head, my almost non-existent heart pounding wildly. Finally, I left the keep and moved through the city until I found my men gathered just outside the gate.

As I approached, they immediately began interrogating me. "I heard we're going to fight a dragon. Is this true?" asked one of them. He was a nord that kept his face hidden behind an iron helm with horns sprouting from the top.

"I can't say. There's been a dragon sighting, however if we'll be fighting it is unclear. So far it hasn't attacked anything." I said, trying to assure the men.

"I real dragon...in my lifetime. I don't know whether to jump for joy or soil my pants." said one of the men, sparking laughter from the others.

"Better bring an extra pair just in case." said another. Even I had to smile at their jovial nature in such a dire situation.

"At least if we die, it will be a glorious send off to Sovngarde." said one of the troop in a grim tone.

"Whether you die to a dragon, or from a skeever is irrelevant. Dead is dead." I said, not wanting the man to bring down the already dark mood. "If we end up fighting the dragon, you're going to live, and kill it. Then you'll have stories for your grandkids about how you helped to slay a dragon."

The man who spoke before nodded, his mood slightly lifted by the claim. Finally, the newcomer approached. I turned to her and she only said one word. "Ready."

"Alright then, let us be on our way." I ordered as I drew my weapon and led our men into the night.

It wasn't a long trek, but each step we took felt heavier than the last. It felt as if we were walking to our doom, and each foot forward was one step closer to our grave. But still, they followed. I had to give it to the nords, their sense of honor was admirable, even if it did border on ignorant stubbornness sometimes.

When we finally made it to the tower, we ducked behind a jutting boulder to get a view before stepping into the fight. And from the looks of it, there definitely was one. Several Whiterun guards lay on the ground, some undoubtedly dead, others possibly alive. The tower itself had half of its ramparts missing, and a transport cart next to the building was blazing into nothing but ash.

"Looks like we're late to the fight." said one of the men behind me.

"Silence! The dragon could still be around." I ordered in a hushed tone. Turning back to the tower, I sighed to myself as I saw the casualties. "For now, we move quietly and try to see how many are dead. Keep an eye out for the dragon itself." As I moved out, the large woman followed me resolutely. One thing I could say about her is that she most certainly wasn't fearful. The look in her eyes was one of solid determination, and she moved as sure footed as I.

Stepping up to the first body, I gently turned the man over to find him bleeding profusely beneath his helmet. Checking for breathing, I found nothing, and resigned him to death. Looking up, the warrior woman did the same, and from appearances, it looked as if her soldier wasn't any luckier. "May you rest in Sovngarde brother." she spoke in that powerful tone. The other men moved out to do the same, but a loud roar froze them in their place. I immediately drew my sword and looked up to the night sky to see the dragon expanding its wings on top of the tower.

"Men, to arms!" I shouted as it drew its gaze down on us. They hadn't heard it likely, but I did. The sound of the dragon inhaling deeply. My eyes widened as I jumped behind a jutting rock. "TAKE COVER!"

The dragon sprayed fire across the ground, igniting grass, earth, and even one of the soldiers who hadn't moved in time. The strange woman tackled the flaming soldier and began to tear his armor off, relieving him of his flaming garments before they could do any damage. Then immediately, she rose and grabbed the man's bow and quiver. Immediately, she began pulling arrows back and releasing them at the monster.

From the looks of it, this did nothing but annoy him. But she most certainly got his attention. Turning to the soldiers, I barked out more orders. "Back her up!"

But the woman turned and countered my order, something I wasn't pleased with. "No! Stay undercover until he's on the ground!" she yelled, then turned back and continued to pelt the dragon with arrows.

After a few more the dragon looked as if it had had enough, and began to inhale again, aiming its flaming maw for my position. I ducked behind my rock as the beast took flight, hoping that I was hidden enough not to be harmed by the flames.

"Fight me!" shouted the woman. The call shook us to our core, and when I looked over the rock, it seemed as if the dragon had even turned away from his attack because of it.

" _Dovahkiin!"_ growled the beast in some unknown language. It flew back behind the tower, looking as if it were running away. But the woman dashed into the tower itself. Tired of hiding behind the rock like a coward, I made my way out with my magic ready to assist. But my dark eyes widened immensely as I saw what happened over the next few seconds.

When she had finally reached the top of the tower, she shouted again, "Fight coward!" Her voice carried over the air and land as if she were standing right next to us. The dragon, who was apparently prone to provocation, turned and roared back, his own voice shaking the stones of the tower. He flew up to the tower and inhaled sharply, but he never had a chance to breath. "Attack!" she shouted as she sprinted and dove off the tower with her great sword in hand. Thrusting forward, it slid into the dragon's convexed chest.

As soon as the blade connected, the dragon let out an ear-splitting cry of agony and fell to the ground with her still standing on him. His landing was less the ceremonious, as his wings glided him back around the tower and he crashed heavily in front of it on his back. Immediately, I raised my sword and shouted, "Men! Now's our chance! Kill it!" and I moved forward to help the daring warrior woman. My men followed, and we rained blows down on the massive beast. He managed to grab one of the men in his jaws and fling him sideways, but as soon as he opened his mouth to breath fire, I let out several bolts of lightning that contacted his wet tongue and caused him serious convulsion. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of stabbing and throwing lightning, the beast lay unmoving.

I was exhausted after dodging its claws and teeth, with my magical energy depleted as I looked up at the woman. Her sword had apparently snapped off in the scuffle, and she stood staring at the handle with her white, braided hair fluttering in the wind. That was when I noticed it. The wind, it wasn't natural. Out of nowhere, high speed winds started swirling around us as if we were in a cyclone. I could do little to get out of it but run, and even that wasn't likely to happen.

But as I looked up at the dragon, and the woman still standing on him, I saw her wide-eyed. I too was awestruck as I saw waves of energy from the dragon flying like the dragons own breath into the lone warrior. My men gathered around me in fear as they too witnessed the spectacle. When it finally ended, she stood with her arms flexing at her sides, and an intense expression on her face. Finally, she opened her mouth, and all of us were blown backwards by her voice. " _FUS!"_

It wasn't painless to say the least, and I was more than angered at the attack. Getting to my feet, I grabbed my sword once more but one of the men rushed ahead of me to confront her. "You! You're...you're dragonborn!" he said, his voice almost sounding excited.

Stepping up to his side, I balked at the claim. "Dragonborn? What in Azura's name are you talking about?' I asked as I folded my arms over my chest.

The man turned to me and tried to explain. "The very oldest tales, back when there were still dragons in Skyrim. The Dragonborn would slay dragons and steal their power." he said, then turned to the giant woman who was now standing on the ground with us. "That's what you did, isn't it? You stole the dragon's power, and now you can shout!"

The woman shrugged in confusion. "I don't know. Whatever happened, I didn't do it intentionally. It just happened."

"Then there's only one way to find out. According to the legends, only the Dragonborn can use the shouts without training. So do it, do what you did before!" he instructed eagerly.

The woman seemed to resign herself to it with a sigh, then inhaled sharply. " _FUS!"_ she shouted, and sure enough what felt like a stone wall before smashed into the man and sent him rolling backwards. But despite the abuse he had been through, he hopped to his feet and cheered.

"That's it! It's true! You are the Dragonborn!" shouted the soldier ecstatically. The others seemed in awe, but one of them actually confronted me.

"What about you Irileth? You're being awfully quiet. Tell us, do you believe in this Dragonborn business?" he asked, crossing his arms skeptically.

I'm not often cornered with philosophical questions like this. I find it annoying when there are more important things to discuss. "Some of you are better off keeping quiet, rather than flapping your jaws about things you know nothing about." I snapped. But it didn't look like they were giving up that easily. Finally, I sighed. "Here's a dead dragon, and that's something I definitely understand. Now we know we can kill them. But I don't need some mythical Dragonborn. Someone who can put down a dragon is more than enough for me."

One of the men huffed under his helmet and crossed his arms defensively. "You wouldn't understand Housecarl, you ain't a nord."

I don't usually get defensive, but the comment stung. "I've been all across Tamriel, and have seen plenty of things just as outlandish as this!" I growled at the man. "I advise you to trust in your sword arm over tales and legends."

The displeasure of my comment was apparent. But then the woman spoke herself. "She's right. Even if I am this Dragonborn, I can't be everywhere at once to slay dragons. If one attacks while I'm not there, you will have to be ready to take it on yourself." she said, eyeing them all.

I smiled slightly at her approval, then turned to the others. "She's right. For now, let us return to Jarl Balgruuf and report what happened."

"I don't care what you say. I've now helped kill a dragon, and met a living breathing Dragonborn. My children will have tales for ages." said one of the men excitedly, getting rousing approval from the others as they patted him on the back.

I looked over at the woman who now stood smiling and weaponless. Whatever she was, she was an asset to both Whiterun and Skyrim itself. She would no doubt be the focus of many songs and tales in the future.


	3. Lydia

OoO( Lydia )OoO

Stunned would have been an understatement. Over the years, even as a young girl, I knew I was different than the many maids running around Whiterun. I didn't feel comfortable in a dress, men's gazes, while rarely were they ever focused on me, didn't interest me, and the idea of warming some oaf's bed and giving him children repelled me. It always had, even as my father tried pushing flowers and flowing garments on me. Even Olfina, with all her talk of being a strong nord woman, still fluttered her lashes any time a strong nord walked past her.

But it appeared that my distaste didn't go unnoticed. My father left at the jarl's request one day when I was young. His goal was to eliminate a group of bandits. Despite his group's success, he came back on their shields. Shortly after the funeral, the jarl approached me and offered to have me trained as a housecarl. When my training had finished, I was supposed to be assigned to either the jarl himself or one of the thanes that occupied his keep. While I didn't relish the idea of tailing some pompous lord as he strode to the bathroom in the middle of the night, it kept me out of dresses and kept a sword in my hand.

But, when my training had finished, the jarl's court had been surprisingly barren of thanes. Balgruuf himself already had three housecarls that attended all his needs. His brother had two, and as the months went by, there was talk of me becoming his third. This meant I would likely have a lot of downtime, as his others did mostly everything he needed them to. But it was better than sitting in stasis.

Then suddenly, I was awoken today by Commander Caius. He spoke hastily about a new thane entering the jarl's court, and how I'd finally be assigned. Letting out a sigh of relief, I finally donned my armor, strapped my sword to my side, and grabbed my shield. As I stared into the mirror, with my dark brown eyes staring back at me, I found myself wondering what kind of person this thane was. Would I be protecting another sniveling coward like Proventus, who rarely left the keep? Or would I find myself at the side of someone like Hrongar, who was a warrior at heart who became restless inside the keep? Letting out a slightly nervous sigh, I resigned myself to doing my best, no matter who they were.

As I left the barracks, Caius guided me towards Dragonsreach. As he opened the doors, we stepped inside just as the jarl titled them. I felt disappointed slightly as I saw what looked like a large male down on his knee with his head bowed. But as soon as the new thane stood, I quickly had to correct myself on many counts. First, I had to clarify if I was staring at a giant in our midst. The thane was at least a head taller than even Hrongar, the tallest in the court. And their muscle competed with his own as well.

Second, when the thane finally turned, I was even more surprised to see that it wasn't a male. Despite her size, despite her mass, and despite her imposing figure, she was a female from head to toe. As the white-haired woman accepted the weapon signifying her badge of office from a much shorter Balgruuf, I leaned over to Caius and whispered to him. "Does she even need a housecarl? Look at her!"

"If you're asking whether she needs you as a bodyguard, I'm thrilled to tell you that she came back with Irileth last night covered in a dragon's blood. They're carting its body back as we speak," he said, getting a wide-eyed stare from me. "But, as you know, a housecarl's duties aren't just protecting their thane," he said as he turned to look at me curiously. "Are you having second thoughts?"

"N-No…" I said, quickly ridding myself of any astonishment. To be honest, I couldn't have asked for a better thane to follow. She was obviously a warrior who could carry her own weight, so to speak. She probably didn't intend to stay in Dragonsreach for extended political discussions. And best of all, I won't have to worry about any advances. At least, I don't think I do.

Soon, the woman turned and focused her grey eyes on me as the jarl introduced me. "This is Lydia. She will be your personal housecarl."

I immediately got to one knee and bowed my head. "I am sworn to carry your burdens, my Thane," I said as instructed. But I was surprised again when her powerful voice spoke.

"Stand warrior. You are my equal, not my mule," she said, her voice carrying across the hall. I looked up in surprise, and even the jarl's brows were raised in surprise at the breaking of tradition. I looked to Balgruuf, and he simply nodded. So I stood and now looked the woman up and down. In her hand, the thane's ax looked like little more than a hatchet. At my full height, I may come up to her collar bone at best.

The jarl grabbed her attention again and finished up by offering her a home in town. Once all the diplomacy was finished, the woman went to leave. I stepped up to her side to join, but we both stopped in our tracks as the walls of the entire keep shook. I reached down and gripped my sword, but it did little as the shaking nearly knocked me on my behind.

The court began shouting in dismay as people moved to get to safety, but everyone froze when they heard voices as clear as day penetrating the walls. " _DO VAH KIIN!"_

"What in the Divine's name was that!?" asked Proventus as he poked his head out from under one of the long dining tables.

"The Greybeards!" said jarl Balgruuf with a fascinated look on his face. His gaze focused on my new ward, a smile gracing his rugged features. "Then it's true!"

After a long explanation about who the Greybeards were, the large woman was finally able to leave the keep. I eagerly joined her, ready to see what exactly life as a housecarl would be like. And even more, what being this new thane's housecarl would be like.

As we stepped down the stairs of the keep, I noticed her staring down at the weapon he had given her with consternation. "Need something bigger?" I asked curiously. Her stony eyes looked from the weapon up to me. "As the new Thane, perhaps Eorlund could make you one."

"Who is Eorlund?" she asked curiously in her firm tone.

My eyes widened slightly at the question. I knew she wasn't from Whiterun, as I'd have seen someone that stuck out as much as her by now. But the Companion's smithy was known across all of Skyrim. "You've never heard of Eorlund Grey-Mane?" She simply shook her head. I reached up and scratched my dark hair before asking another question. "Are you...from Skyrim?"

She stared at me for a long moment before averting her eyes to the front again. For a long moment, I thought that perhaps I had offended her. But finally, she spoke. "You are sworn to carry my burdens?"

The question surprised me, but I responded promptly. "I am and I will."

She finally stopped walking, leaving us standing in front of the dying Gildergreen tree. Looking up at the wilting leaves, she finally told me what was on her mind. "I don't know the answer to your question."

"You don't know where you're from?" I asked in surprise as I turned towards her.

"My earliest memory was waking up in a cart that was riding to Helgen days ago. Anything before that is as blank as the sky. I know my name, I know how to fight, but that is all." Her words echoed in my head, and finally, I realized what she meant by burden. This was certainly a heavy one to bear.

Despite my duty, I couldn't help her with this. All I could offer was advice. "You are Dragonborn. Perhaps the Greybeards have answers," I responded hopefully. She gave me a curious look, before finally showing a small grin. It made her look surprisingly peaceful.

"Then let's visit Eorlund before heading to the mountain," she said as she tapped the back of the comparatively small ax against her chin.

OoOoO

We visited the skyforge smith, and he told my new thane that it would be a week before her weapon was ready. Despite not being a Companion, he took one look at her and agreed. I couldn't help but feel that he took it as a challenge. It was widely rumored, if not known now throughout Whiterun that a Dragonborn had emerged. And anyone who looked at her could surmise that she fit the description. It wasn't a reach to guess that Eorlund had heard the rumors and wanted to give her a weapon to be proud of.

But, he offered her a skyforged greatsword to use in the meantime. He also offered to make her a set of armor if she promised to join the Companions when she returned from her trip to the Throat of the World. Despite her making no commitment, he said her armor would be waiting when she got back as well.

After everything was sorted, we finally set off from Whiterun with our weapons on our sides, our provisions on our backs, and for the first time in a long time, I had a smile on my face.

OoOoO

As a nord, it's supposed to be a tradition to make a pilgrimage to the Throat of the World and climb the seven thousand stairs to the top. Most don't bother, but those with a fierce pride in their heritage make the trip. But at the moment, I would have sworn off every ounce of nord blood inside me just to sit and rest.

My training in Whiterun mainly consisted of combat drills, sword and shield sparring, and laborious tasks to build my stamina. But stairs, they were something I never prepared for. Despite the numerous amount of stairs in the city, nobody ever thought to use them for training, as it'd probably block the flow of crowds from one district to another. And now, I was regretting it.

My breath came out in heavy pants as sweat covered my body from head to toe. My thane told me to leave my armor in the city, and only take my sword and shield. We instead dressed in furs to fight against the cold and began making our way up the mountain. And after fighting off a pack of wolves, a large troll that wasn't at all intimidated by my thane's size, and countless stairs, I just wanted to fall face first in the snow and sleep. But, I had a duty to her, and I wasn't about to fail on the first task given to me.

So I bit back my tiredness, tightened my cloak, and forced my burning muscles to comply as we finished the journey before nightfall. My thoughts constantly drifted to the uncomfortable beds in the Ivarstead inn. At the time, I took them for granted. I was so used to the larger city of Whiterun that the place felt a bit run down. But now, that rickety bed in that dingy inn was more enticing than Sovngarde.

Finally, after the sun sank below the horizon behind us, the large castle on the Throat of the World came into sight. I let out a sigh of relief and wanted to run to the doors, but knowing who lived there, I refrained. Not that I could have run anyway.

As we approached the building, my thane, who looked no worse for wear for some reason, pulled the provision pack from her bag. She had picked it up from one of the villagers who asked her to bring it to the Greybeards. Moving up to the door, she lifted the heavy knocker and pounded on the door. It was long minutes before a loud creaking could be heard over the wind.

In the entrance stood an old man, likely older than I had ever seen. Most nords died before they reached this age, due to combat or some other unnatural cause. But these men, safe in their tower were hidden from the war, hidden from everything. Were it not for the good graces of the villagers below, they may even have starved to death by now.

The old man, who wore long robes of purple with a hood covering his aging scalp, and a long, silver beard to match their name, smiled. " _Dovahkiin…"_ he said, his voice projecting just as much power as hers did. When I first heard my thane was the fabled Dragonborn, I was hard-pressed to believe it. But being here now, and having one of the legendary priests of the Dragonborn greet her with the name finally drove it home in my mind. This was the real thing. Finally, the old man looked at me. "These are sacred grounds. The Dragonborn may enter, but your companion must wait outside," he said, causing my stomach to plummet. Looking around, there were no shelters up here. The closest thing around to protect me from the wind was the doorway itself, and that meant sitting on stairs for however long she would be inside.

But my eyes widened when I heard her speak. "She is my companion, and she will be entering with me, or we'll both be descending the mountain right now." His wildly bushy brows furrowed at her response, and he looked like he was going to retort. But she continued. "This is non-negotiable. Either we both enter, or you have wasted your entire lives by turning away the first Dragonborn in centuries."

The firmness of her tone must have told him how serious she was. Before he responded, I spoke up. "I will be silent. You won't know I'm even here," I said, hoping to quell his concerns.

"Your respect for our grounds has been taken into consideration. Please enter," he said, stepping aside. She turned to me with a grin and nodded towards the door before finally moving into the castle. I followed her in, and the man closed the door behind us, casting us both into darkness as we entered the heart of the Greybeards' lair.

We spent days inside the foreboding mountaintop keep. The first night, we were shown some spare beds that made the ones in Ivarstead look high end. But, my body didn't care. I appreciated the flat bed with dry, musty furs. As I rested, I debated on leaning over and kissing her for telling me to leave my armor behind. Doing this same climb may have killed me with heavy armor on. Then, we were served hot tea. Minutes after drinking, my consciousness vanished like a candle flame in the wind.

Normally, I'd spend my free hours in the morning training. But I had given the old man, whose name turned out to be Arngeir, my word that I'd be silent while inside. So all I could do is eat and drink, then watch as they trained her. The first day was them asking her questions about herself, which she couldn't answer. The day after, we learned that the word she shouted outside of Whiterun was in her head already. This was when my curiosity peaked, and I stopped my munching on salted meat to listen intently.

"You're saying that I already know the language of the dragons?" she asked inquisitively as she looked between the four figures standing before her.

"You would not have been able to use a thu'um if you didn't already know the word of power. To have shouted like you did means that you knew the word. And if you knew that word, then you may know more. We will have to test the extent of your knowledge." Arngeir turned towards one of his brethren, whose names still remained a mystery. "For now, we will teach you the rest of the thu'um you have already used. Einarth here will instruct you."

As the new brother, who looked exactly the same as the former, stepped forward, he unfolded his hands and held them in front as if motioning for her to stop. " _RO!"_ he shouted, but nothing happened.

"Ro is the second word to the thu'um you've already used. As you can see, the words must be spoken in sequence for them to have any power. This is how all language works. Language without order is meaningless," he said as he waved a hand to my thane.

"Ro…" she said quietly.

"Now, in order," he commanded respectfully as both he and Einarth stepped aside.

Nodding, she waited for them to move aside before inhaling sharply. As soon as the first word left her mouth, I could feel the ground shake beneath me. " _FUS RO!"_ she shouted, her voice forming into a wall of sound before impacting the stone pillar, blasting dust and sediment off of the ancient structure.

"Very good, Dovahkiin. It is true that you share the blood of the dragon. To have mastered the thu'um so quickly is proof," said Arngeir with a proud, but small smile. "Let us see exactly how powerful your voice can be, Dovahkiin." As he said this, the other Greybeards gathered around. They all focused their hands together and aimed in the same place on the ground. Suddenly, an apparition created from magic appeared and turned towards my thane. "Go ahead," said the older man, his words now heavy with breath. "Do not hold back."

Her stone grey eyes focused on the phantom before she clenched her fists and inhaled again. " _FUS RO!"_ she shouted again, this time louder. My ears rang afterward, causing me to cover them to protect my hearing.

As soon as her voice hit the apparition, it exploded into magical dust and scattered. Once again, I could feel her words through the ground, making me wonder exactly how powerful her voice could become if she were this effective when she just started training.

"Very good." Arngeir took a moment to catch his breath. "We shall continue your training tomorrow. For now, we must rest. Using magic is taxing on us these days," said the older man. My thane nodded to him and turned to me before giving me a strange look.

I had forgotten as I stared that my hands were still covering my ears. Instead of dropping the strip of salted meat on the ground, I merely held it in my mouth. And now that she looked at me, I probably looked rather comical. Lowering my hands, I reached up and grabbed the food, which only earned a smile from her.

"They said we can use the courtyard outside if you wanted to train," she said as she offered me her hand. My eyebrows rose as I looked from her hand back up to her face.

From the first day of training until the last, I'd had it beat into my head that a housecarl was a servant above all else. As much every new hopeful housecarl wanted to believe that they'd be friends with their thane or jarl, they were conditioned to understand that if they were ordered to die for their thane, they were to do so without question. This friendliness that I was being shown was nice, but I didn't want to get my hopes up. I knew that at any point, this warrior woman could order me to throw myself into a dragon's mouth, and I would be obligated to do so.

So, while I appreciated the cordial behavior, I would temper my expectations. Reaching forward, I gripped the woman's hand. "As you wish, my thane," I responded, and she helped me to my feet rather easily before leading me out into the courtyard.

OoOoO

Once the Greybeards had their rest, they greeted the Dragonborn again in the same main hall as the day before. I sat off to the side once more as the lessons continued. But their words were brief this time. Considering three of the men here were mute, even talking must be exhausting to Arngeir.

"We will keep today's lesson brief. Afterward, we will provide a test for you to see if you are as resourceful as you appear," he said tiredly as he waved them both over towards the courtyard. I got to my feet and followed them all out of the castle. The wind in the confined space was minimal, allowing for easy training the night before. After they all gathered around her, Arngier spoke again. "Today, we will test you on a new thu'um. We must confirm that you pertain knowledge of others. Come and tell me if you can read this," he said, his voice easily overpowering the wind. He walked us both over to a curved stone wall with what looked like claw marks all over it.

But, as I got a closer look, I easily noticed that these weren't mere scratches. They were carved into the stone. Each jagged slash was almost perfectly spaced and matched the length of all the others. It was breathtaking to look at. As I looked over at my thane, I immediately noticed that her eyes were locked onto a particular section. "I recognize this one," she said as she reached out and touched one of the jagged looking words.

"Say it," ordered Arngeir as he held his hands behind his back.

My thane turned around and held her head gently as she closed her eyes. She looked to be in pain for a moment, but then her eyes opened. " _WULD!"_ she shouted, then vanished with a huge blast of wind.

My hair scattered and my eyes filled with tears as the wind around us hit hard. But after a moment, I cleared my vision and looked around to find her near the door we entered in. My eyes widened in incredulity. "How!?" I asked as my eyes traced the line blasted into the snow by the wind back to where she stood only moments before.

"See? You already have the information inside of you. This may be inherited by the dragon's blood that flows within you, or perhaps your memory hides more than you realize. Either way, all you need do to unleash more of your thu'um is to find more of the language. Walls such as this containing the language of dragons are scattered across Skyrim. You will need to seek them out to find what we cannot teach you," said the Greybeard as he stepped towards her.

She eyed him suspiciously. "You want me to learn these shouts, why?" she asked as she turned to face him.

"It is our purpose to teach you the Way of the Voice," he said simply. "Our entire lives have been devoted to meeting you, and preparing you."

"And if I don't like the idea of sitting up here and meditating for the rest of my life?" she asked as she tilted her head.

His face bore a frown as he looked at the ground. "Our duty is to train you. What you do with this knowledge is not our concern," he said as he stepped forward again. "I would advise you to be careful whose hand you let guide your actions. We wish to teach the Dragonborn, not a puppet."

They stared at each other for a long moment, my own eyes flitting back and forth between the two as if they were about to attack each other. Finally, she responded. "Your council has been heeded Arngeir." The old man let out a heavy sigh. "Now then, about that test…"

OoOoO

Days later, I found myself following her back into the gates of Whiterun again. This time, she decided to rest in Ivarstead and we took a cart back. It was midday when we finally arrived in front of my hometown. To be honest, my first excursion into the world with my thane was tough, and climbing that mountain was a harder training exercise than any I've ever had to endure before. However, as we entered the gates of the city again, I couldn't help but feel myself swell with pride.

I still had some issues with talking, and I was still uneasy about developing any kind of deeper relationship with my thane. But, I'm not unhappy to serve her. And that's a lot more than most housecarls can say.


End file.
